


Honey Bee

by Toastiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluffy, Gen, Growing Up, letting go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 19:07:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10497600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toastiel/pseuds/Toastiel
Summary: Kids grow up. Chuck knows this better than anyone. It doesn't stop him from wanting his little girl to stay little forever.~x~A series of oneshots based on the song 'Honey Bee' by Louden Swain. A sort-of continuation of my bigger fic, Ama Lurra.





	1. Nightmares

At first, Chuck wasn’t sure what had ripped him from an unusually deep sleep. It wasn’t that it had been peaceful, because it hadn’t. It was riddled with nightmares, his overwhelming fear of those he loved being taken from him, leaving him alone and stranded in the darkness. But at least it was sleep. He didn’t get a whole lot of that.

A scream pierced the silence of the night and he was out of bed and down the hall in a matter of seconds, his socked feet sliding over the hardwood floors in his haste and sending him to the floor. He landed on his back with a heavy ‘thud’ and a wheeze as the breath in his lungs was forced out. A door opened a few feet away and two tiny feet appeared beside his head. His gaze moved up, taking in the fluttery yellow nightgown with it’s bumblebee pattern, then the small teddy bear held in a death grip by tiny hands, long sandy curls, and chubby cheeks. Finally, concerned and worried azure eyes met terrified sapphires. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she looked down at him.

“D-daddy, are you okay?”

Her voice was small and shaky, but all too loud in the silence that filled the house. 

“Daddy’s fine, baby.” Chuck said with a smile as he pushed himself up off of the cold floor. “See?”

He held his arms out and gave her a smile. 

“You shouldn’t run in the house, Daddy. Mommy says it’s da-dan-”she paused, trying to form the word. It wasn’t easy for the four year old, so she settled on another. “Mommy says it’s not safe.”

“I know, but Mommy isn’t home, now is she?” Chuck gave her a pointed look. His wife was indeed out of town. Her brother, not that either he nor Meghan claimed him as such, had fallen ill and she had gone back to her hometown two states over to help care for him for a few weeks until his wife returned from a business trip to Hong Kong or Beijing, or one of those massive cities in Asia. He hadn’t wanted her to go, but Meghan had insisted, and he knew that once her mind was set on something, there was no changing it. It came with the territory of marrying Gaea incarnate, he supposed. Though, being God, he was hardly one to talk. 

The little girl shook her head, curls flying about her head.

“Then it’ll be our little secret, yeah?”

This time she nodded.

“Why’d you scream, Ava? Did you have a nightmare?” Chuck knelt before her, leveling her with a serious look. 

Again, she nodded. “I saw shadows. They were moving, and yelling, and I got scared. I’m sorry, Daddy.”

She hid her face behind the teddy bear, fresh tears tracking down her cheeks..

“Shh,” Chuck pulled her to him, wrapping her in a tight hug. He picked her up, setting her on his hip, and carried her back to the master bedroom. He slipped into the bathroom, grabbing the pink sippy cup they kept on the counter for these situations, and filled it with cool water. He’d become a quick master of doing things with only one hand after Avacyn was born, and now he had no trouble screwing on the cap and handing it to the toddler as he carried her back into the bedroom and sat her on the bed. 

“You wanna sleep in the big bed with me? Will that make the shadows go away?”

“Yes, please.” She took small sips from her cup, her tears drying. When she’d calmed enough, he sat the cup on the nightstand. They both crawled beneath the covers, Ava curling up against his side, her head pillowed on his chest, and Chuck couldn’t help but smile. He’d done a lot of things in his long, long existence, some good, some bad. He’d made his share of mistakes, and some of them he couldn’t fix. Still, he was certain that the little angel tucked against him was one of his best works yet. Neither he nor Meghan had planned on her arrival, and both were terrified at what might happen afterwards, but none of that mattered now. 

Chuck pressed a kiss to the top of her head and snuggled back against his pillow, falling into a peaceful sleep as faint hints of sunlight colored the morning sky beyond his windows.


	2. Forever and Ever

At nine years old, Avacyn Lorrin Shurley was a force of nature unlike anything Chuck had ever witnessed. She could bring demons to their knees with a look and she had the entire Heavenly Host wrapped neatly around her little finger. She was smart, but more than that, she was intelligent. She knew things grown men didn’t know and she had no problem admitting as much. 

It was hard for him to believe that nine years had already passed. He was sure that just last week, he was bringing her home from the hospital, and just yesterday, she’d come to him crying because she’d fallen trying to learn how to ride a bike. Now she was doing everything on her own. It pulled at his heart to see her fixing herself a sandwich for lunch, or doing her English homework without asking for his help. 

It was a rare night when Meghan worked late nowadays, but Chuck was used to getting Ava ready for bed. He’d come upstairs to help her change and tuck her in, but she was already sound asleep, golden curls splayed over neon purple pillowcases, and a lime green blanket pulled up to her chin. He leaned against the doorway, not sure if he wanted to be proud and congratulate her, or sob silently in the corner. 

He knew the day was coming when she wouldn’t need him anymore. He’d always know that day would come. Hell, he had enough children to know that much. It didn’t help to lessen the pain. She was growing up so fast. Too fast for his liking. By next month, she’d be in high school, and by the end of the year, she’d be off to college, starting a life without him in it. 

“Hey,” soft lips brushed over the nape of his neck as a pair of arms wound around his waist. “What’s wrong, Chuck?”

He turned in her arms and pressed a kiss to his wife’s lips. When he pulled back, he couldn’t help but toss a somber glance over his shoulder at the sleeping child. He flipped off her light and pulled her door closed before letting Meghan lead him down the hall to their bedroom.

“She’s growing up.” 

“They do that, sweetie.”

“I don’t like it.”

Meghan laughed at him. “Stop pouting, Chuck. Children grow up. That’s kind of how it works.”

“Still don’t like it. She doesn’t even need me anymore. She put herself to bed, Meg!” He gestured in the general direction of the child’s bedroom. 

Meghan sighed and leveled him with a look that was half annoyed and half amused. She’d managed to change from her work clothes and into one of his tees without him even noticing, which only irritated him more. It just proved how distracted he was by the whole issue. 

“Charles Shurley, you listen to me because I am only going to say this once. Take it from a girl that’s lost her father, Ava will always need you. I don’t care if she yells at you, if she screams and cries and says you’re ruining her life, I don’t care if she tells the whole world she hates you.” Meghan poked him hard in the chest with her finger, emerald eyes dancing with a fire he’d never seen before. He almost wanted to cower, but he stood tall instead. 

“A daughter will always need her father, even if neither of them realize it. Just because she’s getting older and more independent doesn’t mean she isn’t going to need you around. It means she’s trying to show you that she can take care of herself so you don’t have to worry about her. She’s trying to show you how strong she is, because she wants to make you proud.”

Chuck swallowed, nodding slightly. He knew, deep down, that his wife was right. He just didn’t like the sudden transition from ‘daddy, can you read me a story,’ to ‘I got an A on the paper I wrote all by myself.’ It made him feel like he was missing out on something. The angels had always needed him, always looked to him for guidance and wisdom, even as they grew. Humans were different, not that Ava was entirely human. Still, the principle stood. 

“Now, go kiss her goodnight, check on Karin, and let’s go to bed.” She shooed him out the door and down the hall. 

Chuck opened her door, trying not to make a sound as he crept across the room to crouch beside her bed. He brushed her hair back from her face, and he swore he could see the halo resting atop her head. She shifted, blue eyes opening slightly before falling closed again. Ava rolled onto her side to face him and wrapped both arms sleepily around his neck. He hugged her tight for a moment before she pulled away and fell back onto her pillows. 

“Night, daddy. I love you.” Her voice was thick with sleep and he could hardly make out what she’d said. Chuck pulled the blanket back up beneath her chin and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you too, baby girl. I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

“Forever and ever?”

“Forever and ever.” He stood and left the room to check on the three year old sleeping next door, then he was crawling back into his own bed, wrapping himself around his already sleeping wife. 

He had a hard time remembering what things had been like before Meghan and Ava and Karin. He knew he’d been lonely. He’d spent most of his time at the bottom of a bottle with no care to climb out. But for the life of him, Chuck couldn’t recall the events of a single day before them. Not a single one. If he was honest, he didn’t want to. Without his family, it hadn’t really been living anyways.


	3. Heartbreak

Chuck had been prepared for a lot of things when Ava was born. He’d been ready to deal with nightmares and temper tantrums, first days of school and raucous slumber parties. He’d been okay with the princess themed birthday parties and fairy Halloween costumes. Really, he’d been ready to handle anything that came with having a little girl. 

Until she wasn’t such a little girl anymore. 

No, Chuck Shurley had not been prepared for high school. Or the drama that came with it. 

He had gotten better about the whole “my daughter’s growing up and doesn’t need me anymore’ issue he’d had when she was younger, but this was different. This was a whole new level of worry that he had never been prepared to deal with. Chuck had never had to worry with the angels, though seeing how some things turned out, he probably should have been. 

It wasn’t even the typical things that he worried about. Peer pressure, smoking, drinking, drugs, flunking classes, wearing inappropriate clothes, or hanging around with the wrong crowd were fears reserved for normal parents. Chuck wasn’t normal. He knew Ava well enough to know that she would weather all of those storms just fine. 

His real worry, the one thing that had concerned him the most, was unfolding right in front of him. He’d seen it coming and still he hadn’t done anything to stop it. Part of him didn’t want to stop it, and that left the deity feeling somewhat guilty. He’d never cared for the boy, and not having him in his daughter’s life was a blessing, though not his handiwork. He’d have to thank whoever was responsible. ‘A fruit basket maybe? Or muffins. Everyone loves muffins.’

His heart clenched in his chest as he heard her scream, followed by the sound of something smashing against the living room wall. Probably a lamp. Hopefully the ugly one his wife so dearly loved. While he was happy to see the boy go, it was killing him to see what the arrogant young man’s actions were doing to his littlest angel. Another scream, muffled by the kitchen door and the hum of the air conditioning kicking on, and he heard the front door slam.

“Good riddance,” Chuck muttered into his cup of tea. He stood as the kettle clicked off, pouring the hot water into a large pink mug and following it with a tea ball full of Ava’s favorite tea. He didn’t say a word as he carried both his cup, already half gone and fairly cool, and her’s into the living room. He sat the fresh cup on the coffee table in front of the silently sobbing young woman and took a seat beside her, leaving enough space between them so as not to crowd her. He’d learned that when Meghan had been pregnant the first time around. 

They sat there for some time, neither saying a word, but he smiled softly as she picked up her steaming mug and held it close to her face with both hands. She sipped it slowly, sniffling now and then, until the tea was gone and with it her tears. The sadness remained.

“Why?”

He’d almost missed the question, her voice was so quiet. 

“I get that a lot, Ava. You’ll have to be more specific.” He gave her a smile, hoping the favor might be returned. It wasn’t. 

“Why does it have to hurt so much? Why-” she sniffled again, “ Why do people have to lie and hurt and break things?”

It wasn’t often that Ava didn’t count herself as a person. Most days she was happy to blend into the masses and play the part of the unwitting human. Now clearly wasn’t one of those times. He could see the celestial glow of her eyes without even looking at her. He took a deep breath, trying to figure out the best answer he could give her, only to find that he didn’t really have any good ones. 

“Humans...they mess up. They make bad decisions, they don’t think things through. It comes with free will. Every person gets to decide their course, good or bad, and a lot of them don’t know the difference until it's too late. Especially at your age. Teenagers are impulsive, reckless, careless. They never see themselves as being wrong until something comes back to bite them.” Despite his words, Chuck’s tone was endearing. 

“It’s not just a human condition, though.” He amended, turning to look at her. “Your brothers and sisters have been guilty of much the same. They’ve done their share of harm.”

“I know. I just...why does it have to hurt? I guess, deep down I kind of expected him to do something, but not this.” Ava bit at her lip as she gazed into her tea, looking for all the world like it held the answers she was seeking. 

“He broke your trust. Speaking from experience, betrayal is one of the worst pains there is. It cuts down to the core of who you are and it makes you question everything you’ve ever believed.”

“Will it always be like this? Is this what love is supposed to feel like?”

“This?” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Nah. This...this was a different kind of love. Puppy love. Soon, you’ll forget the pain, and the one that gave it to you. You’ll find others, fall in love, fall out of love. One day, you’ll find that one person that you’ll love forever, and all the heartache and sadness and salty tea will be worth it.”

Chuck watched as Ava wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. She must not have realized she'd been crying, he thought. When she did glance back at him, a small, sad smile danced on her lips.

“Yeah?”

“Yep.”

He hadn’t been ready for it when she wrapped herself around him, and he’d almost dropped his mug, but Chuck didn’t mind. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to his side, and pressed a kiss to her temple. 

“Daddy,” her voice was muffled by his shirt and his shoulder. She never called him that anymore, not unless she was sick or sad. 

“Yeah, angel?”

“Could you...would you sing? Please?”

Chuck’s heart warmed at the request. It had been nearly a decade since he’d heard those words from her. 

“Of course I will.” He smiled warmly, glancing down into her sapphire eyes. “Any special requests?”

“That one you used to sing when I was little.” She batted her lashes.

“Yeah, okay.” He leaned forward, placing his mug on the coffee table. He snuggled back against the cushions and Ava’s head fell to rest against his chest. He pulled in a breath and began to sing, his voice low and calm.

“If I had wings like Noah’s dove,  
I’d fly up the river to the one I love.  
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well.

“I knew a man, who was long and tall,  
He moved his body like a cannon ball.  
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well.

“I remember one night, a drizzlin’ rain,  
And ‘round my heart I felt an aching pain.  
are thee well, oh honey, fare thee well.

“One of these days, it won’t be long  
You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone.  
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well.”

By the time his voice faded away, Ava was asleep against his shoulder, a small smile on her lips. He brushed her curls away from her face and kissed her forehead softly. With a snap of his fingers, their tea mugs were gone, and with another snap, he was standing over her in her bed. He pulled the blankets up around her, tucking her in as he had all those nights ago when he doubted his relevance in her life. Needless doubting, it would seem. Even at sixteen, almost a woman, she was still his little angel, and she did still need him. 

Chuck flipped off her light and stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him.


	4. Never Let Go

Chuck always knew this day would come. He’d been terrified of it for nearly twenty-five years, and now he was staring it in the face. He wasn’t ready for this, and he had no trouble admitting as much to himself. He was nothing if not honest. 

Still, he couldn’t deny that Avacyn was the most beautiful angel in existence. He was leaned against a wall, watching from afar as Meghan helped to finish up her hair and her makeup. His little girl was all grown up and he had to push back the tears that threatened to fall. He couldn’t cry. He was God, for...for his sake. Last time he cried, it rained for months. 

Ava had graduated near the top of her class, and at eighteen, she’d left home for the first time for college. Chuck had been extremely proud and extremely distraught. Yes he had a lot of children, but Ava was special. He’d been there for all of her ups and downs, watched her laugh and cry. He’d seen her love with her whole heart, and he’d witnessed that heart being broken more than once. They had a bond that was different, unique; it was unlike anything he had with the rest of his children. 

Chuck wasn’t supposed to have favorites. He was supposed to love all of his children equally. Even so, every angel in all of creation knew that those two, Lucifer and Ava, they were his favorites. The two had even butted heads over it, trying to prove that one was more worthy of his attention than the other. Sibling rivalry pertained to all siblings, he supposed. At the end of the day, though, they loved each other just as much. 

When she was younger, Ava had grown close to Gabriel and Balthazar. They treated her like a princess, sneaking her gifts and treats with each visit. The older she got, though, the closer she’d become to the two eldest angels. He was convinced that had something to do with Karin’s birth. She’d taken the responsibility as big sister very seriously from day one, and she’d looked up to Lucifer and Michael because they were the biggest brothers she had. While it pleased Chuck to know that she was getting along with all of her siblings, he often found himself thinking that maybe she should have chosen better role models. 

Not having Ava at home had been tough on him, but he managed. He spent most of his time caring for Karin. The twelve year-old was thrilled to finally have all of his father’s attention, and Chuck felt guilty then for not dividing his time as evenly between the two as he should have. Karin just always seemed to be alright. He never got upset, or bothered by much, and he had an easy-going attitude about things that his sister didn’t possess. Where Ava stressed and fretted, Karin just let things happen. Chuck was keenly aware that that didn’t mean the boy hadn’t needed his father. He’d seen what happened to his children when he’d run off, and he’d be damned if he ever let that happen again. 

When Ava came home on break for the holidays during her senior year, the last thing Chuck expected to see was a boy on her arm. Meghan had ushered them both in from the snow and put them to work on helping her with the decorations. Chuck didn’t have time to even catch the kid’s name until dinner that night when they’d all decided it was time to stop. He’d spent most of the afternoon hanging lights outside. An easy task until Gabriel showed up and decided he needed to ‘help.’ 

His name, it turned out, was Theodore Dawson, and he was from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a nice kid, Chuck supposed as they passed around bowls of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and brussel sprouts. He was polite, well dressed, and clean-cut. His hair was a bit on the shaggy side, but next to Sam Winchester, it looked like a buzz cut. He was two years older than Ava and was working on his masters in Anthropology at TSU. They’d met through a mutual friend and hit it off. Chuck could tell by the way they looked at each other that this what the one he’d told his little angel about all those years ago as they nursed hot tea on the sofa. 

The couple had been dating for two years when Theo had shown up on his doorstep, completely unannounced and looking like he might faint. They’d talked at length that afternoon, and by the time Theo had left, Chuck had gladly given his blessing. A month later, Ava called to announce that Theo had proposed and she had said yes. 

That had been almost a year ago.

The thundering toll of the bell several stories above them shook Chuck from his musings. It was time. He could hear the music playing, the bellowing of the organ echoing throughout the old cathedral. That was one part Chuck still had a difficult time with. Theo, it turned out, was Catholic, and his parents had insisted on having a large Catholic wedding. Between Theo’s family and Ava’s family, a small wedding had never been an option, but Chuck had kept his mouth shut on that. 

“Ready?” Ava asked him with a teasing smile as she stepped up to his side. In that instant, Chuck could see it all, from the frightened toddler, the independent child, the intelligent young woman. It was all there in that smile, in those eyes. She was a literal angel, dressed in the most beautiful white gown, with a train a mile long and a veil to rival it. He nodded with a smile and offered her his arm before leading her out into the hallway. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were all ready to go, some angels, some human, and with a kiss to her cheek, the procession began. By the time the bridal march was filling the air, Chuck was a nervous wreck. He wasn’t ready for this. He didn’t want to hand his little girl over to someone else, to watch her leave him behind. 

“I’m scared, too.” She whispered, glancing up at him as they began the slow march towards the pulpit. 

“You? Scared? Impossible.” He teased, his hold on her hand tightening a fraction. 

“I’m terrified. I don’t know what’s going to happen.” He could sense the actual fear in her words. She wasn’t just trying to make him feel better. 

“Isn’t that the point? This is the start of something new, Ava. After today nothing will be the same. Everything changes the moment you say ‘I do.’” He shook his head slightly, trying to will away the tightness in his voice. “It’s a new adventure.”

“But starting a new one means leaving the old one behind. What if-” She seemed to be having the same problem. “What if the old one isn’t finished yet?”

“You don’t always get to finish one adventure before the next one starts. Just ask a Winchester.” 

She laughed and gave him a wary smile. “Fair enough.” 

They were almost there now. 

“Promise me something, daddy,” she let her head fall against his shoulder for a second. 

“Anything, angel.”

“No matter what happens, no matter where I go, just promise me you’ll always be there, just like you always have been.” Her words were sad now, tinged with worry.

Chuck stopped, pulling her to a halt next to him. He turned, leveling her with a gaze he normally only reserved for those times when he actually had to be God. They stared at each other for a long moment before he spoke. 

“I will always be here for you. I’m never going anywhere. Never again.”


End file.
